Ladder.



0. E. DILLON & L. SAVAGB.

LADDER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 7, 1911.

Patented May 28, 1912.

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GHARLES E. DILLON .AND LEE SAVAGE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

LADDER.

Specificaton of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28,1912.

Application filed March 7, 1911. Seral No. 612,802.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES E. DILLoN and LEE SAVAGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ladders, more particularly to the class of step-ladders, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed ladder Whereby the steps are firmly united to the side members without cutting into either the steps or the sidemembers, or otherwise reducing or weakening them.

Another Object of the invention is to provide a device of this character whereby the steps and sides of a ladder may be quickly and firmly united without the necessity for forming tenons or mortises, or the like, in the parts.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the Claim, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a step-ladder constructed in accordance with the improved device; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of one of the steps and a portion of one of the side members of a ladder, with the improvement applied; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the attachments detached, viewed from the inner side; and Fig. 4: is a view Similar to Fig. 3, viewed from the outside.

corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the Views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The improved device may be applied to ladders having side members and steps of various Sizes and forms, but is designed more particularly for use in the construction of step-ladders having fiat side members and steps, and for the purpose of illustration is shown thus applied, and in the drawings the side members are represented conventionally at 10 and the steps at 11. The steps are usually conneeted at an angle to the longitudinal plane of the sides, so that when the step-ladder is in use with the sides inclined, the upper surfaces of the steps will be level or horizontal.

The improved device consists of a device whereby the steps 11 are united firmly to the sides 10 without cutting either the steps or the side members, and is preferably constructed from Sheet or plate steel pressed into the required shape. Each of the connecting devices consists of a horizontal body portion 12 having right angled ends 13-14 and with the terminals of the ends bent at right angles thereto, as shown at 15-16, and extended for a short distance in parallel relation to the body 12, as shown. The distance between the terminals 15-16 and the body 12 corresponds to the thickness of the side members 10, while the distance between the portions 13-14: corresponds to the Width of the member 10. The member 12 is extended upwardly above the line of the end portions 13-14, as represented at 17, and preferably reduced, as shown, to decrease the weight. The body 12 is provided with a plurality of screw receiving apertures, as represented at 18, while the terminals 13-14 are likewise provided with screw receiving apertures 19-20. Extending from the body 12 at its lower edge is an integral flange 21 having screw receiving apertures 22.

The body portion 12 is designed to bear against the inner face of the side 10, while the terminals 13-14 bear over the edges of the side member with the terminals 15-16 bent around the outer corners, as shown in Fig. 1. The supporting device is then secured to the side members 10 by screws inserted through the various apertures 18-19 and the steps 11 supported upon the ledges or flanges 21 and secured by screws inserted through, the apertures 22. By this means the steps and side members are firmly united and supported and without the necessity for cutting either the steps or side members. In practice the terminals 15-16 of the ends 13-14 will be bent around the outer corners of the sides 10 by .any suitable implement after the supporting device has been applied and the sorews inserted, this bending of the parts causing same to be partly embedded in the relatively soft wood of the sides and thus materially increase the grip of the supporting device thereon.

The supporting devices will preferably be made rights and lefts, but will otherwise be duplicates at the opposite ends of the steps. In practice the steps 11 will be provided with the supporting devices having the terminals 15-16 unbent or eXtending at right angles to the end portions 13-44, and shipped, together with the sides 10, in knocked-down shape, and then assembled where the ladder is to be sold. hen thus assembled it will be Obvious that it is only necessary for the operator to place the steps at the required positions upon the sides, apply the screws through the apertures 19-20 and then bend the terminals 15-16 around the sides 10 by the blow of a hammer or other implement. Thus the device is readily adapted to sides of various thicknesses without struetural change in the devce.

The improved device is simple in constructon, can be ineXpensively manufactured, and applied without material structural change to step-ladders of various sizes and forms.

Having thus clescribed the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A step ladderincluding side members and steps, and supporting devices each consisting of a vertically disposed body portion abutting against the end of a step and eX- tending thereabove and provided with right angled portions extending over the opposte edges of the side member and bent around and engaging the outer face thereof, said with an aperture to receive a fastening de- 'vce and below the upper face of the step with corresponding apertures, Whereby the fastening devices in said last named apertures will be covered by the end of the step and thereby prevented from coming out, 40

fastening devices extending through the flange into the step, and other fastening devices extending through the right angled portions into the side members.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. DILLON. LEE SAVAGE.

\Vtnesses VVM. T. DUNCAN, JAMES T. NEVILLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressng the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

